Signal.



1. B. IDENGEL.

- SIGNAL.

APPLICATION man OCT. 4. 1915.

Patehted Oct. 31,1916.

22* RIGHT LEFT ' ATTORNEY JOSEPH B. -DENGEL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. ai, ioio.

Application filed October 4:, 1915. Serial No. 53,935.

i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH'B. DENGEL, of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroeand State of New York, have invented a newand useful Signahfully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

My present invention relates to signals, especially to that class in which differently colored lights can be selectively exhibited and it has for one of its ,objects to provide such a signal in which it is only necessary to use a sirigle translucent panel which may be illuminated by any one of a plurality of independently controlled lamps arranged in rear thereof, the light from the several lamps being distinctively colored by passage through diiferently colored screens.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for difiusing the light from the lamps which passes through the translucent panel, whereby a uniform illumination is obtained, and clear vision of the parts in rear of the panel is prevented.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out .in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1- is a vertical Sectional view of a signal constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line AB of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal'sec'tional view on the line CD of Fig. 2.

A signal such as T have invented is capable of being used for various purposes and is especially applicable as a tail lamp for motor vehicles, for indicating by the color of the light at the instance of the driver whether he is to go straight ahead or make a turn and, if the latter is the case, the direction in which the turn is to be made, and

. T have illustrated it inthe drawings as ap plied to such a use but I do not wish to limit myself in any Way as to the specific use of the apparatus.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a casing of slightly conical form, closed at its back by a supporting wall 2 and provided in its front side with a transparent diffusing gnember preferably in the-formof a lens 3. A

plurality of lamp housings 4, 5 and 6 are located within the casing and secured to the wall 2 by screws 7. These housings are open at their front sides to permit the insertion of lamps 8, 9 and 10 and are formed in the present instance of substantially pyramidal form to constitute reflectors, which are so positioned as to converge and direct light from the lamps toward the center of the lens 3, each of the beams of light being wide enough to illuminate the whole surface of the lens. Two of the housing 4; and 6 are provided with inwardly turned lips 11 at their forward open ends, to hold translucent panels 12 and 13, colored green and red, respectively.

From what has'been described, it will be seen that lighting of the lamp 9 will illuminate the lens 3- With a white light while the other lamps 8 and 10 willgive a green or red color to the lens.

The red light is normally lighted, and serves the same purpose as the ordinary red tail lamp, while the clear and green lights are selectively operable by the driver to indicate the direction in which it is intended to turn the vehicle, the clear light indicating a turn to the right and the green light a turn to the left. In the present instance, I arrange the lamps 8, 9 and 10 in branches 14:, 15 and 16 of a divided electric circuit'having a common conductor 17 in which is located the battery 18 One end of the conductor 17 is connected to the housing 4 which latter is '6. One terminal 19 of each lamp makes contact with the housings while the other terminal 20 engages aspring plate 21, the several spring plates serving as terminalsfor the branches 14, 15 and 16. A switch arm 22 accessible to the driver of the vehicle, is connected to the conductor 17 and adapted to engage contact points on the branch circuits. This arm normally closes the branch 16 through the red light, and is held in this position by springs 23. When the arm' is moved to the right or left, it first breaks the circuit of the red light and then makes the circuit through the clear or green light. Upon being released, the arm is restored to central position by the springs 23, relighting the red li ht.

1 also provide means for illuminating the usual number plate 25 which is located in proximity to the casing 1. The casing is provided with a window 24 at a point adjaclear light from the lamp 10 can be cast through the window upon the number plate,

. which, in the present instance, is supported in brackets 26 connected to the casing 1.

A signal, such as I have described, is little if any largerthan the ordinary tail lamp and, in addition to serving all of the purposes of the latter, efficiently performs the direction indicating function. By' employing only one lens for the three lights, the cost is reduced considerably yet Without sacrifice of convenience in operation. The diffusing surface effectually prevents I the parts Within the casing from being seen and presents to an'observer'a uniformly illuminated panel Whose color can be instantly changed at the will of the operator.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a signal for vehicles, the combination with a casing, of a lens in one side thereof having. a roughened diffusing sur-.

face, a plurality of independently controlled lamps within the casing each adapted to illuminate the lens, housings within the casing for separating the lamps, differently colored translucent screens each arranged between a lamp and the lens, the casing having an opening communicating with one of said I housings, through which the lamp therein may illuminate a number plate supported in proximity to the open-ing.

2. In a signal for vehicles, the combination with a casing, of a lens in one side thereof having a roughened diifusing surface, independently controlled lamps within the casing, housings surrounding the lamps and open at their front sides and shaped to con- JOSEPH B. DENGEL. 

